Unmanned vehicle adapted to be used in a stable, such as a cowshed

ABSTRACT

An unmanned vehicle for cleaning and disinfecting the floor in a stable such as is used for dairy cattle. The vehicle is provided with a manure displacement device which has an extensible member capable of being moved to locations in the stable remote from the vehicle. The manure displacement device comprises a manure slide and is provided with a pressure setting mechanism to govern the force with which the manure displacement device is active on the stable floor. The manure displacement device may be extendible by a telescopic carrier or an articulated arm which is hingedly mounted to a housing of the vehicle. The vehicle also carries sensors to determine the presence and recent departure of animals in cubicles on the stable floor and for detecting undesired substances including manure on the stable floor.

[0001] The invention relates to an unmanned vehicle which is adapted to be used in a stable, such as a cowshed.

[0002] Such a vehicle is known.

[0003] The known vehicle is provided at its front side with a manure slide with the aid of which the grid floor of a stable is cleaned.

[0004] The known vehicle has the disadvantage that parts of the stable which are difficult to reach, such as e.g. cubicles, cannot be cleaned by the vehicle.

[0005] It is an object of the invention to make the unmanned vehicle suitable for cleaning also places in the stable which are difficult to reach.

[0006] In accordance with the invention, this is achieved in that the vehicle is provided with a manure displacing device which is disposed at a distance from the vehicle and/or is capable of being moved to a place at a distance from the vehicle. Because of the fact that the manure displacing device is disposed at a distance from the unmanned vehicle and/or is capable of being moved to a place at a distance from said vehicle, it is possible to clean places in the stable which are difficult to reach, such as e.g. cubicles, without the vehicle needing to move to these places. According to a further inventive feature, the manure displacing device comprises a telescopic carrier and/or a hingeable arm construction. In accordance with an inventive feature, the manure displacing device comprises a manure slide which is preferably made of rubber or synthetic material. According to again another inventive feature, it is also possible to provide the manure displacing device with motor-drivable manure displacing members. The motor-drivable manure displacing members have the advantage that, during cleaning, they do not need to be pressed on the stable floor with considerable force, like a manure slide. According to a further inventive feature, the manure displacing members are constituted by brushes. It is also possible for the manure displacing device to comprise a compressed air unit and/or a spraying unit by means of which the floor is cleaned with compressed air and/or liquid.

[0007] For the purpose of realizing a still better cleaning of the stable floor, according to an inventive feature, the manure displacing device comprises pressure setting means with the aid of which the force is set with which the manure displacing device is active on the stable floor. In accordance with a further inventive feature, the pressure setting means comprise a control cylinder. The pressure setting means are also used for positioning the manure displacing device.

[0008] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the manure displacing device forms part of a wall of the unmanned vehicle. For the purpose of determining where in the stable there has to be cleaned, according to an inventive feature, the unmanned vehicle comprises detection means which are capable of observing the dirt present on the stable floor. According to a further inventive feature, the detection means comprise a camera, such as e.g. an infrared camera. It is further possible for the detection means to comprise a humidity meter with the aid of which the electric conductivity is determined on a floor part in the stable. By means of a dielectric measurement it is possible to determine whether the stable floor is contaminated with manure.

[0009] According to again another inventive feature, the unmanned vehicle comprises a second manure displacing device which is disposed below the vehicle. According to the invention, the second manure displacing device constitutes a support for the vehicle.

[0010] For the purpose of operating in a still more hygienic manner, the unmanned vehicle comprises cleaning and/or disinfecting means. According to a further inventive feature, the cleaning and/or disinfecting means comprise a spraying unit. With the aid of the spraying unit it is possible to spray a cleaning and/or a disinfecting liquid over the already cleaned stable floor. According to the invention, a favourable location for the cleaning and/or disinfecting means is on or near the manure displacing device. For the purpose of preventing the animals from damaging the unmanned vehicle, according to an inventive feature, the unmanned vehicle comprises signalling means which are adapted to keep animals at a distance from the unmanned vehicle. According to a further inventive feature, the signalling means are capable of emitting optical and/or acoustic signals. According to again another inventive feature, the signalling means comprise an electric shock device.

[0011] The invention further relates to a method of displacing manure over a stable floor by means of an unmanned vehicle, whereby the unmanned vehicle and/or the stable are/is provided with detection means for determining whether an animal has visited a cubicle after the relevant cubicle has been cleaned by means of the manure displacing device, while the detection means emit a control signal to the unmanned vehicle when said animal has left the cubicle, on the basis of which control signal the unmanned vehicle cleans the relevant cubicle with the aid of the manure displacing means.

[0012] The invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013]FIG. 1 is a side view of a first unmanned vehicle according to the invention, and

[0014]FIG. 2 is a side view of a second unmanned vehicle according to the invention.

[0015]FIG. 1 is a side view of a first unmanned vehicle 1 according to the invention, which vehicle is provided with a manure displacing device 2. The unmanned vehicle 1 comprises a housing 3 with a chassis 4 which is provided with wheels 5, which form the first point of support for the chassis 4, as well as a second manure displacing device 6, which forms a second point of support for the chassis 4. The second manure displacing device 6 comprises a manure slide 7. The unmanned vehicle 1 is further provided with a protective bracket 9 which is rotatable about an axis 8. Each of the wheels 5 is individually driven by a motor 10. By driving the wheels 5 at a different velocity, it is possible to steer the unmanned vehicle. The first manure displacing device 2 comprises a telescopic carrier 11 one end of which is hingeably disposed in the housing 3 of the unmanned vehicle 1. At the other end of the telescopic carrier 11 there is also disposed a manure slide 7. The housing 3 further accommodates pressure setting means 12 one end of which is connected to the housing 3 and whose other end is connected to the telescopic carrier 11. The pressure setting means 12 comprise a cylinder 13. By means of the cylinder 13 it is possible to set the force with which the manure slide 7 is pushed on the stable floor. For the purpose of increasing the pressure of the manure slide 7 on the stable floor and/or the cubicle floor, there is disposed a weight 14 above the manure slide 7 in a part 15 of the housing 3. Near the manure slide 7 there are further disposed disinfecting means 16 with the aid of which the floor, which has been scraped clean, is disinfected. The disinfecting means 16 comprise a spraying unit 17.

[0016] The unmanned vehicle 1 is further provided with detection means 18 with the aid of which contaminated parts of the stable floor can be traced and by means of which it is possible to pilot the unmanned vehicle 1 through the stable. In the present embodiment, the detection means 18 comprise a camera. The unmanned vehicle 1 is further provided with signalling means 19 which emit an optical and an acoustic signal.

[0017] The unmanned vehicle 1 also comprises an electric shock device which is connected to a bracket 20.

[0018]FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of an unmanned vehicle 1 according to the invention, in which parts corresponding to those of the first unmanned vehicle 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment of the invention the first manure displacing device 2 comprises a hingeable arm construction 21. The hingeable arm construction 21 comprises a first part 22, which is hingeably connected to the housing 3, and a second part 23 connected therewith and provided at its end with a manure slide 7. The hingeable arm construction 21 is operated by means of a control cylinder 24, one end of which is connected to the hinge pin of the first part 22 and whose other end is connected to the second part 23. Furthermore, in its folded up position, the second part 23 forms part of the housing 3. 

1. An unmanned vehicle (1) which is adapted to be used in a stable, such as a cowshed, characterized in that the unmanned vehicle (1) is provided with a manure displacing device (2) which is disposed at a distance from the vehicle and/or is capable of being moved to a place at a distance from the vehicle.
 2. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the manure displacing device (2) comprises a telescopic carrier (11) and/or a hingeable arm construction (21).
 3. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the manure displacing device (2) comprises a manure slide (7) which is preferably made of rubber or synthetic material.
 4. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the manure displacing device comprises motor-drivable manure displacing members and/or a spraying unit and/or a compressed air unit.
 5. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the manure displacing members are constituted by brushes.
 6. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manure displacing device (2) comprises pressure setting means (12) for setting the force with which the manure displacing device (2) is active on a floor.
 7. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the pressure setting means (12) comprise a control cylinder (13).
 8. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manure displacing device (2) forms part of a wall of the unmanned vehicle (1).
 9. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unmanned vehicle (1) comprises detection means (18) for determining whether and/or where manure and/or other dirt are/is present on the stable floor.
 10. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the detection means (18) comprise a camera, such as e.g. an infrared camera.
 11. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the detection means comprise a humidity meter for determining the electric conductivity on a floor part in the stable.
 12. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unmanned vehicle (1) comprises a second manure displacing device (6) which is disposed below the vehicle.
 13. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second manure displacing device (6) constitutes a support for the vehicle.
 14. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unmanned vehicle (1) comprises cleaning and/or disinfecting means (16).
 15. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting means (16) comprise a spraying unit (17).
 16. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the cleaning and/or disinfecting means (16) are disposed on the manure displacing device (2).
 17. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unmanned vehicle (1) comprises signalling means (19) which are adapted to keep the animals at a distance from the unmanned vehicle.
 18. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the signalling means (19) emit optic and/or acoustical signals.
 19. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the signalling means (19) comprise an electric shock device.
 20. A method of displacing manure over a stable floor by means of an unmanned vehicle provided with a manure displacing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19, whereby the unmanned vehicle and/or the stable are/is provided with detection means for determining whether an animal has visited a cubicle after the relevant cubicle has been cleaned by means of the manure displacing device, while the detection means emit a control signal to the unmanned vehicle when said animal has left the cubicle, on the basis of which control signal the unmanned vehicle cleans the relevant cubicle with the aid of the manure displacing means. 